THE UNIVERSITY IS A PLACE RICH IN FORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 25, 1999 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy Father received delegates from 57 bishops' conferences who are responsibile for university ministries and who are taking part in a meeting in Rome.

The Pope affirmed that this world meeting offers them the possibility to prepare the Jubilee of university students and lecturers, to be held in Rome in September 2000. On this subject, he demonstrated his satisfaction with the pamphlet written by the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Culture, together with the diocese of Rome, "in order to sensitize and prepare the university community to the Great Jubilee."

Having mentioned the theme of the symposium, "The University for A New Humanism," he underlined that "the original vocation of the university ... is to be a place rich in formative opportunities and 'humanitas', at the service of the quality of life and in keeping with the integral truth of man as he travels through history."

The Holy Father indicated that the problems facing university ministry include "the constant challenge represented by the relationship between faith and reason, between faith and culture and between faith and scientific progress. ... This is why the primary task of Catholic intellectuals is to promote a renewed and vital synthesis between faith and culture, never forgetting that, in the many-faceted activities of formation, the central reference point remains Christ, only Saviour of the world."

"All apostolic action in the university environment," the Pope continued, "must aim to bring the young, teachers and all those who move in the academic world, to personally encounter Christ." To this end, "it is desirable that each university have its chaplaincy, the heart of university ministry. This must be a driving force behind both formation and the specific cultural initiatives of evangelization."

Pope John Paul concluded: "The promotion of important initiatives at a national level will also prove valuable, such as the Council for university ministry ... and the 'University Day' that includes time committed to prayer, reflection and planning."

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